New Medicare Dashboard Advances Affordable Care Act (ACA) Goals for Chronic Conditions

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently launched a new Medicare Chronic Conditions Dashboard, offering researchers, physicians, public health professionals and policymakers access to current data on chronic conditions. Read the CMS announcement.

Two-thirds of Medicare beneficiaries have multiple chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.  The Affordable Care Act (ACA) addresses these health problems by making people with Medicare eligible for recommended preventive care without Part B deductibles or copayments. The ACA also promotes better healthcare coordination and management of chronic conditions. The Dashboard will help to achieve goals set by the ACA by promoting a better understanding of overlapping medical conditions and areas where prevention and treatment can improve care and lower costs.

According to CMS, 93 percent of all Medicare spending last year--roughly $276 billion--covered beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions. A study published last summer by the American Heart Association found that chronic patients often struggle to manage all of their conditions simultaneously. For instance, out of 29,000 patients studied, only 30 percent kept up with health regimens to keep diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol under control at the same time. Howard Koh, HHS Assistant Secretary for Health, called the tool "a major step forward" for helping to boost treatment for such patients. "This web-based tool provides new and critical data that can help us develop better patient-centered approaches to improve health outcomes, lower costs and maximize quality of life," Koh said.

We here at the Fairfax Elder Law Firm of Evan H. Farr, P.C. urge our clients to take advantage of the no-cost preventative care offered as a result of the ACA, as part of a wellness plan formulated by you and your doctor.  Remember, a big part of wellness is peace of mind. For peace of mind, one of the most important things you can do is to plan your legal and financial future for you and for your family. Call us today at 703-691-1888 to make an appointment for a complimentary consultation.

Evan H. Farr on Google +